May 13, 2022

Last updated May 13, 2022 Motherhood is a training ground for leadership. The loss of working mothers from the paid workforce makes the US economy less competitive and families less prosperous, leading to worse outcomes for households over the long term. That’s why HeyMama, the nation’s largest and fastest-growing online community of entrepreneurial and working moms, is bringing back its Motherhood on the Resume initiative, which urges moms to add “mother” to their resumes to underscore the value mothers bring to organizations and the workforce. “Last year, more than 1,000 women added ‘motherhood’ to their resumes, and while awareness has been raised, we are still seeing and hearing mothers in our community speak of increased stress and emotional distress,” said  Erika Feldhus , CEO of HeyMama. “Of the women who stopped working during the pandemic, 82% could not afford to be out of work. The time is now to tear down the cultural bias against mothers that’s impacting their careers and recognize the strengths moms bring to their professional lives because of parenthood.” On May 17, 2022, HeyMama will kick off its Motherhood on the Resume campaign with a virtual event to raise awareness of the historical and current disparities working moms face and to change the way working moms are viewed in the workplace. Over the course of the event, participants can attend interactive workshops and panels designed to provide inspiration and support for working mothers and moms who want to return to work. Workshops and panel topics include: Working Mom Skills: Motherhood makes women better employees and team members. This workshop will cover how and why that’s true and ways moms can gain visibility in the workplace. The New Working Mom: This panel will detail the importance of normalizing kids on Zoom calls, working reasonable hours and lifting awareness of both roles: parent and professional. Back and Better Than Ever: Returning to work as a mother adds value to her team and family. This workshop seeks to provide moms with confidence in their ability to return to work. Mom on the Calendar: In addition to putting “mother” on their resumes, this workshop encourages working moms to put motherhood on their calendars too, making the time moms devote to their kids (e.g., pumping, doctor’s appointments, dance recitals, etc.) visible and valuable in the workplace. Guest speakers and panelists include Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey, global head of inclusion for women of color at Google; Lauren Smith Brody, founder of the Fifth Trimester; Noelle Johnson, global DEI strategist and trainer at PowerToFly; Limor Bergman, director of Product Business Development at PowerToFly; Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, MD, founder and CEO of Gemma; Julie Solomon, brand expert and coach, author and host of “the Influencer” podcast; Alexandra Sourbis, senior public relations and communications manager at Elvie; and Sarah Lacy, founder and CEO of ChairmanMe. “The income penalty for moms taking a break from work is 15% per child under the age of 5, and for Black and Indigenous women, it is nearly 20%,” said Amri Kibbler, co-founder and chief community officer at HeyMama. “The unprecedented departure of women from the labor force over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic could set women back financially for decades. The Motherhood on the Resume® campaign has never been more necessary. It’s imperative that employers and colleagues recognize the skills we bring to the table because we are mothers, not in spite of it.”